Christ our Firstfruits

A couple of days ago I read about the feasts that Israel was to celebrate each year.  I've written previously about how the Jewish holidays point to Christ and are fulfilled in Him, in a post called The Substance is of Christ.   I want to focus this post on the Feast of Firstfruits. 

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 'When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted.'" Leviticus 23:9-11a
So the offering of firstfruits was so that God's people would be accepted by Him.

The timing of the Feast of Firstfruits is interesting.  (Actually that's an understatement.)  The Feast of Firstfruits took place 3 days after the celebration of Passover.   (This is a bit of a simplification.  See the charts and figures on this Messianic website for more information.)  Remember, Passover was celebrated on the 14th day at twilight of the first month, Abib or Nisan.  This was to commemorate the first Passover when the Angel of the Lord killed all the firstborn in Egypt, but passed over the houses of His people who had the blood of the sacrificial lamb spread on their doorposts and lintels.  It is no accident that Christ became our Passover lamb on Passover, and rose from the dead three days later, on the day of the celebration of Firstfruits.
Paul refers to this in 1 Corinthians 15  when he's defending the resurrection of the dead (Saducees didn't believe in the resurrection and some in the early church must have been influenced by them).

"If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.  But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection from the dead.  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.  But each in his own order:  Christ, the firstfruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ."  1 Corinthians 15:19-23  (emphasis mine)

I used to take this bit about Christ being our firstfruits metaphorically (as in He was the first of the harvest, which in a sense He is), but the 90 day Bible challenge has helped me to make connections between the Old and New Testaments of the Bible that I never saw before.  Christ literally became our firstfruits offering.  When He was raised from the dead by God, on the day of the celebration of the Jewish Feast of Firstfruits, He made His people accepted by God.

It's not just that Christ did this and that in His lifetime in order to fulfill aspects of the law.  It's that the feasts were always meant to point to Him.  Waving a sheaf of barley never really made God's people right before Him- it didn't take away the guilt of their sins.  Christ was always our Firstfruits, just like He was always our Passover lamb.  The holy days instituted by God were to point His people to their sins and their need for a Savior.  The substance of the holidays were always Christ!  Paul was a Jew of Jews and he knew his Old Testament.  We are at a great disadvantage when we come to his letters without any understanding of the Old Testament.  There is no such thing as New Testament Christianity divorced from the rest of God's law.  The 90 day Bible challenge really helps put this in perspective.  The first 68 days are spent reading the Old Testament and the last 20 days the New Testament.  That's right, 77% of the Bible is Old Testament!  When we neglect it, we're neglecting the majority of God's revelation to us!   Amazing, isn't it?
This realization about the feasts might seem like a small matter, but it's meant so much to me.  I like symmetry and order.  This messy business about sacrifices and this series of holidays that were so important in the Old Testament and then discontinued in the time of the early church always troubled me.  It all makes sense now.  It's not that God had a plan A that didn't work out so then He instituted plan B.  Christ was always the plan for our redemption.  The substance is of Christ, the feasts were like shadows reflecting His substance.  I love that God is a God of symmetry and order.  Christ is everywhere in the Old Testament- it all points to Him and it all finds its consummation in Him.

The feasts and holy days were like a road map that led to Christ.  The early Christians were Jews and they followed that map.  Somewhere along the way, the church abandoned its Hebrew roots and I've so enjoyed rediscovering them.  The books Our Father Abraham:  Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith by Marvin R. Wilson, A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays by Robin Sampson, and Listening to the Language of the Bible:  Hearing it through Jesus' Ears by Lois Tverberg and Bruce Okkema are several books that have helped me recover some of these Hebrew roots.

Remember this Easter as you're celebrating in church that Christ in His resurrection became our firstfruits offering so that we could be accepted by God.   To God be the glory!

A Tale of Two Geneologies

It's that time of year again.  Advent.  A time to celebrate the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  My fifth 90 day Bible challenge has had me reading through the gospels and my husband preached on Christ's incarnation yesterday, so I'm primed for this post.  Remember when I confessed to you that my eyes used to glaze over when reading through geneologies in the Bible?  Can you relate?  Those names are becoming more familiar to me now and instead of letting my mind wander while reading lists of names, I've begun paying attention.   Guess what?  I discovered something that is not new at all, except that it's new to me.  Theologians have been discussing the two geneolgies of Christ for over a thousand years.

Mathew 1 and Luke 3 give two completely different geneologies for Christ.  They both show Him in the tribe of Judah and heir to the throne of David, but other than that there aren't many similarities.  They both say they are the geneologies of Jesus through His earthly father, Joseph.  Mathew lists only 27 generations (actually refers to 28) between David and Christ, whereas Luke lists 42.  That's a big difference!  But it's not only a difference in number of generations.  If you try to slide the missing 15 generations from Mathew's account into Luke's, they still don't fit.  Mathew traces the geneology of Jesus through Solomon.  Luke's geneology goes back to David's son Nathan, instead.  While there have been many explanations proposed, I'll touch on the ones I like that make sense to me.  With a few of my own musings thrown in, just for fun.

The most popular theory on the geneologies of Christ is that Mathew gives Joseph's geneology, whereas Luke gives Mary's.  This theory is not recent and seems to have been supported by Origen, Irenaeous, Tertullian, Athanasius, and Justin Martyr.  It would be strange for the geneology of a woman to be listed in the Bible, unique even, but then Mary is unique in all of history.  She was the one and only mother of the Messiah.  (Interestingly, Luke's gospel also gives the birth narrative from Mary's point of view.)  Then why didn't Luke just come out and say he was giving Mary's geneology?  Maybe he assumed since Mathew's account was already circulating that the church would immediately recognize his own as Mary's.  (It is debated whether Mark or Mathew was the first gospel written, but it's accepted that Luke was written after Mathew.)  It could be that Mary didn't have any brothers, so Joseph, as Mary's betrothed, was her father's heir and therefore considered as his son.  Mary and Joseph may even have lived with her family, further solidfying Joseph's role as Heli's descendant and heir.

And why does Mathew give a skeleton outline of a geneology, while Luke's is exhaustive?  Mathew was writing to the Jews to prove Jesus was indeed the long awaited Jewish Messiah.  He emphasized the kingship of Christ by tracing the kings of Judah from David to the captivity.  He also seems to give the numbers of generations that he gives for a reason (I didn't find anyone who commented on this, but I'm such a numbers person I can't believe it is without meaning.)   

"So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations."  Mathew 1:17

He's missing one according to my count, I count 14 from Abraham to David, 14 from David to captivity, and 13 from captivity to Christ.  Not sure if this was an oversight on his part or a trascription error later, or what.  But what's interesting to me is that Mathew emphasizes the number of generations that he's giving, even though Luke's geneology leads me to believe that Mathew's is only a skeleton.  I don't really know what Mathew has in mind.  14 x 3= 42  What's the significance of 42?  Maybe nothing.  If you multiply the number of man by the number of God (6x7), you get 42.  I realize that's a stretch.  I mean who thinks about those kinds of things?  It could have simply been a mnemonic device.  Mathew seemed to group things in numbers, especially the numbers 3 and 7.  Or what about symmetry?  Fourteen generations from God's covenant with Abraham, really the beginning of the Jewish nation, until David, God's annointed.  Then fourteen generations of the nation of Israel rebelling against God until judgment (captivity).  Then fourteen generations of captivity (national, yes for Israel never really regained her freedom, but also, or perhaps mainly spiritual captivity), until Israel's Messiah, God's Anointed, finally comes.  Fourteen generations of promise.  Fourteen generations of rebellion.  Fourteen generations of captivity.  And now the fulfillment of the original promise was here.  I think I get it.  I think I get Mathew and why he gave the geneology of Christ the way he gave it.

Now for Luke.  Luke was probably a Gentile (Greek), though that's debated.  At any rate, he doesn't seem to have the same audience in mind that Mathew has.  Luke emphasizes that Jesus is the savior for all of mankind, not just the Jews.  Luke gives explanations of Jewish customs and feasts, that a Jewish audience would have no need of.  Luke is also quite thorough compared to the other gospels.  For example, he includes 18 parables not found in any other gospel.  In Luke 1:3, he gives the purpose of his gospel, to write "an orderly account". 

"Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in oder a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed."  Luke 1:1-4

Luke was a physician, a profession requiring careful observation.  Precise details were important to Luke.  He's thorough, consulting multiple eyewitnesses.  His gospel is chronological.  No skipping generations for him.  In fact, Luke takes Christ's geneology all the way back to Adam, emphasizing more the humanity of Jesus, where Mathew emphasized His kingship.  Both were important.  Both were necessary.  Mathew and Luke are both right, but they're emphasizing different aspects of Christ's incarnation.

Immanuel means "God with us", God in flesh.  To redeem His people, God had to become man.  He also had to temporarily lay aside His kingship, only to pick it up again later, forever.

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  Philippians 2:5-11

So Christ only laid aside His kingship temporarily.  God had promised David that his kingdom would be established forever, and Jesus was and is the fulfillment of this promise.

"When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom... And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you.  Your throne shall be established forever."  2 Samuel 7:12, 16

Mathew was writing to a Jewish audience, so he emphasized the Jewish prophecies about the Messiah, that Jesus was the long-awaited, once and future King of Israel, the son of David who will rule forever.  Luke's gospel presents Jesus as Savior to the Gentiles, so he emphasized the humanity over the Jewishness of Jesus.  He goes back to Genesis 3, showing that Jesus is that promised seed of Adam who would crush the Serpent's head.  They're both right.  Jesus is King of the Jews and He's the Son of Man.  He's the Jewish Messiah and Savior of the World.  Let's remember to thank God this Advent season for including both of Christ's geneologies in His Word.

The book of Job: It's about more than just suffering. It's about Christ.

My husband was trying to come up with a quick survey through the Old Testament for his men's group and we were discussing which books to include.  I actually suggested they could skip Job since everyone knows the story of Job.  Well, bite my tongue.  I just read Job again yesterday and today and I take it back.  They can't skip Job!  Yes, it's about suffering and the sovereignty of God, but it's more than that, too.  I love seeing Christ in Job.  Some call this the redemptive historical hermeneutic, others call it the scarlet thread of redemption woven throughout the Scriptures.  What this simply means is that God has given us glimpses of Christ in the Old Testament.  The book of Job is one of the oldest in the Bible, written before the institution of the Levitical priesthood and most likely during the time of the patriarchs.  Here are some of my favorite passages:

On our need for a mediator:

"God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.  If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together.  The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of His punishment.  Then I could speak to Him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength."  Job 9:32-35

Compare this with Hebrews:

"So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.  This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."  Hebrews 4:14-16

Cool, huh?  God answered the prayer of Job's heart.  We have just such a mediator in Jesus that Job desired.  I believe that Jesus was Job's mediator, but it was prior to His incarnation so He had not yet suffered as a man.  He could not identify with Job's weaknesses to the same degree that He can ours, since He Himself has now lived and suffered as a man.  The only way we could possibly have the kind of mediator Job describes- One who can bring us together with God- is that our mediator be both God and man.  Incredible!  Right there in one of the oldest books in the Bible we get a glimpse of God's perfect plan to bring us to Himself.

Here's another one:

"Even now my witness is in heaven.  My advocate is there on high.  My friends scorn me, but I pour out my tears to God.  I  need someone to mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends."  Job 16:19-21

On our redemption and the bodily resurrection:

"But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and He will stand upon the earth at last.  And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!  I will see Him for myself.  Yes, I will see Him with my own eyes, I am overwhelmed at the thought."  Job 19:25-27

Me, too.  Overwhelmed at the thought of seeing Christ, that is.  I've never heard a sermon preached on this, and I've heard a lot of sermons.  Isn't it exciting that resurrection didn't just pop up in the gospels?  God always planned, from the beginning, to bring back to life our decayed bodies.  We won't be disembodied spirits sitting around on clouds strumming harps for all eternity, thank goodness!  We will have real bodies and we'll see Christ!  And Job knew this!

And another good one:

"But if an angel (messenger) from heaven appears- a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright- he will be gracious and say, 'Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.'  Then his body will become as healthy as a child's, firm and youthful again.  When he prays to God, he will be accepted.  And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing.  He will declare to his friends, 'I sinned and twisted the truth, but He did not punish me as I deserve (Septuagent).  God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light."  Job 33:23-28

That passage has it all.  The gospel in the book of Job!

God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  He does not change.  His plans do not change.  The whole Bible is His perfect, holy Word and therefore relevant to us today.  Every book of the Bible is about Christ.  And none of them can be skipped, except maybe Song of Solomon : ).  Anyone want to explain that one to me?!

Urim and Thummim, NOT a magic 8 ball.

I've had some matters on my mind that are weightier than sewing, this is one of them. 

Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron's heart when he goes into the Lord's presence.  In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord's will for His people whenever he goes in before the Lord.  Exodus 28:30

The Urim and Thummim allusions in the Bible have always bothered me.  Why?  Because God takes the initiative in communicating with us- He always tells us what we need to know, maybe not everything we want to know, but what we need to know.   God hasn't always chosen to communicate to us in the same way, but He has always been the initiator.  He has used prophets, angels, dreams, and of course, His Word, the Bible.  Another reason the Urim and Thummim have bothered me is because divination is prohibited in the Scriptures and the Urim and Thummim have always seemed like divination to me.   So there, that's my honest confession.  But, as I've been reading the Bible through in 90 days, this is my fifth time in less than 2 years at that rate, I've come to see so many connections between the Old and New Testaments.  I love typology, just check out my Advent label and you'll see how I love to see Christ in the Old Testament.  Someone famous, I don't remember who, once said that the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed and the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed.  In other words, their message is the same.  They both reveal God's redemptive plan which culminates in the person and work of Christ.  I've practically given it away already, but guess what I saw in the Urim and Thummim this time?   You'll have to read on to find out.

If anyone is still reading at this point, (Hi Mom), I'm going to write the remainder of this post differently than I normally would.  I'm going to go ahead and give my conclusion first and then I'm going to tell you why I think this is right.  

I think the Urim and Thummim are a foreshadowing or type of how God is going to communicate with His people in the future.  I think they typologically depict how God illuminates His Word for His people. 

Here's why:

1.  The terms Urim and Thummim have been translated as light and truth (Lux et Veritas which appears on Yale University's seal was translated in this way from Urim and Thummim), or revelation/teaching and truth.  God's Word is a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet (Ps 119:105).  And His Word is truth (John 17:17).  If I were only considering the meaning of the words Urim and Thummim, I would say I think it foreshadows the complete revelation of God, His Word which He was just beginning the process of revealing to His people at the time He gave Moses the ceremonial law.  But, I think there's more to it than that.

2.  The Urim and Thummim were thought, by Jewish tradition, to communicate an answer by lighting up or illuminating certain gemstones.  (Remember there were 12 gemstones, one for each tribe of Israel, on the priest's chestpiece of decision and the Urim and Thummim were placed above these.)  So not only do the terms Urim and Thummim speak of illuminating truth, but that is how they worked.  Now, tell me you don't think Urim and Thummim when you read these verses where Jesus is telling His disciples about the coming work of the Holy Spirit.

When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.  He will not speak on His own, but will tell you what He has heard.  He will tell you about the future.  He will bring Me glory by telling you whatever He receives from Me.  All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, "The Spirit will tell you whatever He receives from Me."  John 16:13-14

Furthermore, there's a connection in timing.  Moses went up to Mount Sinai to receive the law from God, including these instructions, two lunar months (7 weeks, or 50 days) after the Exodus.  This would be celebrated by Israel as the Feast of Weeks, also called Pentecost.  The Urim and Thummim were a part of the law given to Moses on the first Pentecost and the Holy Spirit was given to indwell and guide believers at the first Pentecost after Christ our Passover Lamb was crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven to rule at the right hand of God the Father.  I think the Urim and Thummim foreshadowed the outpouring of the Spirit of truth that would come many Pentecosts in the future. 

3.  The Word of God is also in a mysterious way, the second member of the Trinity.  When God spoke the creation into existence, it was through the Son.  Jesus is God's Word incarnate.

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God...  And the Word became flesh and dwellt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  (John 1:1, 14)

Why do I make this point?  Because all of the priestly garments, in fact, all of the ceremonial law foreshadowed Christ our Messiah.  Jesus fulfilled every type and shadow in  the Levitical system, including the priestly garments.  So it makes sense to also see the Urim and Thummim in this light.

photo credit

Ephod- The ephod contained two onyx stones with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel engraved upon them so that the priest would carry them on his shoulders as a constant reminder whever going before the Lord (Exodus 28:12).  In other words, the priest represented the people to God, he acted as their mediator.  We know Christ fulfilled this role.  He is our great High Priest and He intercedes for us with God (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Robe-  The blue robe of the priest had to be worn when entering the presence of God or he would die.  (Exodus 28:35)  Likewise, none of us can stand before God without the imputed righteousness of Christ.  

Tunic- The white linen of the tunic, and other priestly garments, gives us a picture of purity. This is why it was so important for the priest to undergo cleansing prior to putting on the garments. 

Turban- The turban of the high priest, according to Jewish tradition, was also flat on top representing spiritual perfection, as in having reached the top.  Of course, no high priest was perfect until Jesus.  So this, too was ultimately fulfilled in Christ.  The medallion attached to the turban was to read "Holy to the Lord."  The priest would symbolically bear the guilt of the people before God and must wear his turban with the medallion on his forehead so the Lord would accept the people (Exodus 28:38).  Again, we have a picture of redemption- Christ bearing our guilt and sin, while God imputes Christ's righteousness to us when we believe.

Sash-  The high priest's sash was blue, purple, and red, the same colors as the curtains of the Tabernacle.  Blue is for righteousness, purple for royalty, and red for atonement.  These colors and the way the sash held everything else together also speaks of Christ.

It would be inconsistent to interpret the high priest's other garments in light of Christ, but the Urim and Thummim in light of ancient Babylonian or Egyptian sorcery.  God's revelation was progressive.  The protoevangelium in Genesis 3:15 gives a sneak peak into His redemptive plan, but not the whole story.  Likewise, when God gave Moses and the people of Israel the Levitical law, He gave them a picture of redemption.  When God promised David that his son would reign on the throne of Judah for all time, He was giving more information.  So, bit by bit, in the pages of the Old Testament we see Christ, the ultimate and original plan for our redemption.  Aren't you thankful that we're able to look back and see God's perfect, complete plan from the beginning of His revelation.  The Urim and Thummim were a picture of how God communicates with us now.  He doesn't use a magic 8 ball.  His Spirit of truth indwells believers and illuminates His Word for us.  Discernment comes from His revealed truth, (Urim and Thummim), His Word.   

Making it all come out even... or NOT!

Every year I struggle with this dilemma.  We have 6 children, 5 that we're buying gifts for.  They range in age from 11 down to 2.  Somewhere along the line I got the idea that we were supposed to be trying to make their gifts come out even.  What does that mean?  Same number of packages to open?  Same amount of money spent?  I can't seem to make it come out even either way.  I'm so frustrated!

My ideas to make Christmas shopping easy on me this year were 1.) take a trip instead of buying gifts or 2.) give a large collective gift for all the kids to share.  Both of these great ideas got vetoed by either Big D, the children, or both, so I've joined the ranks of Christmas shoppers everywhere trying to find just the right gifts for 5 of my 6 precious children.  (Calvin's only 2 months old so I don't think he'll mind my skipping over him this year.)

We absolutely can't afford to spend as much on our 4 and 2 yr olds as we do on our 3 oldest children.  My goal is to spend approximately the same amount on the 11, 9, and 7 yr olds.  And my goal is for the 2 and 4 yr olds to have at least as many packages to open as their older siblings.  Maybe more.  Does this sound fair?  I was an only child so I'm always at a loss as to how to go about Christmas gift giving.  Inevitably what happens is that I end up buying more and more and more in a futile effort to make it come out even!  (I know what you're thinking, Roan.  That's why you use a Christmas planner, right?  OK, maybe I'll try that next year.)  Any other words of wisdom?  How do you make it "come out even"?  Every year I think we're going to simplify gift giving and every year I end up letting things get out of hand.

Bartholomew's Passage- an advent story

Last year we read Jotham's Journey during the month of December.  It was our first time to read an advent story and I think I got as much out of it as the kids did!  As Christians it's our goal to re-focus our children's attention on our reason to celebrate Christmas- away from the stuff, and the shopping, and the stuff, and the Christmas movies, and the stuff... to the incarnation of Christ, His great humiliation by which He came to redeem those His Father would give Him.

This year we're reading Bartholomew's Passage and absolutely loving it!  The kids beg me to read more each day. 

What are you doing in your families to help re-focus on the Savior this Christmas season?  I love getting new ideas.  In fact, I learned about these books from several of you last year.  Thank you! 

Sold out at the cost of a slave

I have long loved these words from Philippians about Christ's great humility:

"Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.  When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminial's death on a cross."  Philippians 2:6-8 (emphasis mine)

The long awaited Anointed One took the humble position of a slave.  He was poor, though He owned everything.  He washed His disciples feet, though they weren't worthy even to sit at His table.  He suffered death on a cross, though He was Sovereign Lord of the universe.

He took the humble position of a slave and was even sold out at the cost of a slave.

"Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, 'How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?' And they gave him thirty pieces of silver.  From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus."  Mathew 26:14-16  (emphasis mine)

"But if the ox gores a slave, either male or female, the animal's owner must pay the slave's owner thirty silver coins..."   Exodus 21:32 (emphasis mine)

So a slave's life was valued to be worth 30 silver coins according to the law of restitution. 

But, "a man between the ages of twenty and sixty is valued at fifty shekels of silver..."  (Leviticus 27:3) based on the redemption value of gifts offered to the Lord.

So a slave was valued to be worth a little over half that of a free man. 

I don't know whether the leading priests had this insult in mind when they paid Judas to betray the Lord, but I do know that it wasn't a coincidence.  Christ willingly came to earth as a suffering servant.  This is not what most of the Jews were expecting.  It's not what most of us look for in a Savior, either, but it was God's perfect plan.   Of course, it wasn't the end of God's plan.  The next three verses in the Philippians passage quoted above tell the rest of the story.

"Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  Philippians 2:9-11

Who were the magi?

The circumstances surrounding Christ's incarnation were very humble- born to a tradesman rather than nobility, born in a cave or manger rather than a palace, born so that He might become a willing sacrifice for our sins rather than take His rightful place as ruler of the earth. However, we have several reminders in the Christmas story that Jesus is, in fact, the King of kings and Lord of lords, even though He chose to lay that aside for His first Advent in order to be the suffering servant. The heavenly host celebrating Christ's birth by praising God and saying glory to God in the highest is one such example. The magi who came from afar to worship Jesus is another and the one I want to focus on for this post.

Who were the magi? There is some speculation since the Bible tells us only that they were from the east and that they followed His star. It is thought that the magi, or wise men as they are sometimes called, were probably priests or court advisors (like Joseph and Daniel were). Because of what we know from secular history about how advanced the science of astronomy was in ancient Babylon, it is often suggested that the magi were Babylonians. How would they know about the star prophesied in Numbers 24:17? Well, some would have you think they didn't know about it, but that they just followed the star assuming that it signaled the birth of a great king. I believe differently. I think the magi knew about the prophecy of the coming Messiah and that they were searching the heavens for generations looking for the star that would signal His birth.

There are several ways they could have been familiar with the Scriptures. The most likely explanation is from the time of the Babylonian captivity of Judah. Many Jews were taken to Babylon for 70 years and integrated into the culture there. Daniel, whom we know stayed faithful to the worship of the Lord alone, had a significant impact on Nebuchadnezzar. In fact, it seems likely that Nebuchadnezzar himself ended up as a believer. He refers to God as the Most High multiple times and acknowledges God's sovereignty over all His creation. (Daniel 4:35) Then after Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, he makes Daniel one of his chief advisors. So Daniel could also help explain how the magi knew about the star if they were from Persia.

Daniel was not the only one of God's people that held an influential position in an eastern kingdom, however. It's possible that Cyrus the Great was a believer. The Lord stirred up his spirit so that he sent the Jewish people back to Jerusalem in order to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. He also sent them back with the sacred vessels of gold and silver taken from the Temple by the Babylonians and profaned by Belshazzar. Of the Lord God of Israel, Cyrus says, "He is God." (Ezra 1:3) And remember Esther who married the Persian king Xerxes? His son was Artaxerxes who ruled about 100 years after Cyrus and also supported the Jews in the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its wall. Nehemiah was the cup-bearer to Artaxerxes, who certainly seemed sympathetic with Nehemiah's cause. He even gave him a 12 year leave of absence to lead the Jews in rebuilding Jersualem. It seems likely that Artaxerxes was a believer. It's quite possible that his mother was Esther, the Jewish wife of King Xerxes of Persia. At any rate she would have had influence over his father and probably him as well.

It's fun to speculate, but what we know is that when the magi saw Jesus, they fell down and worshipped him. They did not behave as if they didn't know whom they were seeking. The gifts they gave to Jesus also seem to underscore the fact that they knew just who it was they had been searching for. They gave Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It has been said that the myrrh speaks to Christ's humanity, the frankincense his divinity, and the gold his kingship. At Christ's second Advent it won't be just the magi who acknowledge His sovereignty. Everyone on earth will bow down to Him as Lord of all. "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11)
Let us remember when we look at our nativity scenes this Christmas season that Jesus came as a humble servant, but that He is coming back as Lord of all. I love Psalm 8 and a portion of it prophesies about the coming Messiah. "Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger." (v. 2) In other words, He was an innocent baby, but He wasn't weak. It was just a different kind of strength. Christ possessed the strength of moral purity and the strength of self-sacrifice and the strength of obedience and the strength of delayed gratification. He will return as a mighty conqueror. What an exciting thought for Advent!

David as a type of Christ part 2: from suffering to exaltation

Suffered Injustice

David suffered persecution by Saul, by his enemies, and even by his sons. Many of the Psalms reveal David’s broken heart of suffering and reveal God as his sustenance and Protector in these trying times. Psalm 70 is a sweet example of one of these types of Psalms.

“Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O Lord! Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek my life; let them be turned back because of their shame, who say, ‘Aha, aha!’ Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let those who love Your salvation say continually, ‘Let God be magnified!’ But I am poor and needy; make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.”

Isaiah 53 prophesies how the Messiah, Jesus would suffer. “He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. … He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (3-5)

Crucifixion is an agonizing way to die and Christ willingly sacrificed Himself for us that we might have eternal life. When Jesus cries out from the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mathew 27:45) it reminds me of many of David’s pleas to the Lord, although what David suffered was nothing compared to the suffering of Christ, the holy Lamb of God.


Deliverer

David fights the great giant Goliath not because he is confident in his own abilities, but because his trust is in the Lord. “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. … The Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” Therein lies the key to David’s victories for Israel. It was always the Lord. David acknowledges this when He says to the Lord, “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?” (1 Chronicles 17:16)

Jesus is our ultimate Deliverer, redeeming us from our slavery to sin and everlasting judgement. Jesus said of Himself that “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) “Whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) No matter what difficulties His children face in this life, it’s nothing compared to the glorious eternity they will spend with Him! “The sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” for it is “Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come”. (Romans 8:18 & 1 Thes 1:10)


Shepherd

I love that David was a lowly shepherd, but more than that I love that he gave us the 23rd Psalm which so vividly shows those of us who know nothing of sheep and shepherds, the tender care and constant companionship that the Lord gives to those that belong to Him. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep.” (John 10:11&14)


Exalted by God

In establishing His covenant with David, the Lord reminds him, “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name. … And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:9&16)

God exalted David to the position of king and promised him a dynasty that would go on forever. Every descendant of David has lived and died, except one. Jesus, who was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven and still rules at the right hand of God. Jesus lives and rules today! Philippians 2:5-8 that I quoted in the last post relates Christ’s humiliation by laying aside His deity, taking the form of a bondservant and being obedient to the point of death on a cross. The next several verses tell the rest of the story. “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11) I chose that last verse for our Christmas cards this year, because I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Christ’s first coming than by looking forward to His second coming when everyone, not just His children, will confess His Lordship!

David as a type of Christ part 1: Humble beginnings, annointing, and obedience

I’ve been avoiding this post because I’m afraid I can’t do it justice. I’m going to attempt to just hit the highlights of how David was a type of Christ.


Humble beginnings and ordinary appearance

If you’ll remember when the Israelites insisted on having a king, they first chose for themselves Saul, son of “a mighty man of power” who was “choice and handsome.” In fact, it is said that there was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders up he was taller than any of the people.” (1 Samuel 9:1-2) We know what happened with Saul. He was NOT a man after God’s own heart, he was not obedient to the Lord, so the Lord led Samuel to David. David was not in outward appearance the perfect candidate. He evidently did not look kingly. He was the son of Jesse, not a powerful man, but a shepherd. David was not even the oldest son of Jesse, but the youngest. The Lord had to encourage Samuel to “not look at his appearance or at his physical stature” because “the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Isaiah 53 describes the Messiah as One who has “no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men… and we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised and we did not esteem Him.” (2-3) And as for humble beginnings, Jesus was born in an animal feeding trough and raised the son of a carpenter.


Anointed by God

Anointing has to do with being chosen by God and His spirit resting upon His chosen. “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.” (1 Samuel 16:13) “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38), but this was different somehow than with David and all others who have been anointed by God. Normally, oil was used for anointing as symbolic of the presence of the Spirit of God, but in the case of Jesus we see at His baptism “the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove” (Mark 1:10). Since Jesus is conceived by the Spirit of God, and is in fact God, His anointing is really from conception, with His baptism marking the beginning of His public ministry with His Father's endorsement.


Obedient

David, as a man, was not perfectly obedient to the Lord, but we see His great obedience in stark contrast to that of his predecessor Saul and his descendants who split the Kingdom of Israel in two and introduced idolatry into Israel. David is described as being “a man after God’s own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14). We can see from the Psalms that David loved God’s Word and praised God for His might, mercy, and tender care. His precious words in Psalm 139 show us David’s desire to obey the Lord at all costs. “Search me O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (23-24)

Jesus was perfectly obedient to His Heavenly Father. Peter, quoting from Isaiah 53:9 testifies that Jesus was He “who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.” Obedience did not come more easily for Jesus because He was God, “for we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) We also see anguish in the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus cries out to God “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Mathew 26:39) So, Christ was perfectly obedient at the cost of sacrifice we cannot even imagine! “He was obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:8)

Who was Jesus?

The kids and I have been studying ancient history this semester and we've been reading a book called Augustus Caesar's World. I have no gripes with the book, but as with most history books Jesus is presented simply as a historical person. That's all. What does the Bible say about who Jesus was and is?

"In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-4&14)

So according to this Jesus is God and existed prior to the creation of the world. Remember that God spoke the world into existance, well, Jesus is the Word by which it was spoken. We see in these verses Christ's eternality, preeminence, and great power.

My favorite verses about the incarnation, or the great humiliation of Christ as it is otherwise called, are Philippians 2:5-8. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

What a beautiful picture of the second member of the Trinity laying aside His deity in order to become man that He might redeem us.

What if Jesus were only a man? Could He have redeemed us? Could He have truly been a perfect sacrifice for our sins? No, He could not have. Certainly He could have been a wise teacher, but not an unblemished lamb able to make propitiation for our sins.

As we struggle to put Christ at the center of Christmas with our kids, let's remind them that Jesus was more than a man, He was Emmanuel, "God with us", and He lives today in heaven at the right hand of God making intercession for us. He may have begun His journey in human flesh as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem, but that certainly wasn't His beginning any more than the ascension was His end. As the cherubim are saying in heaven, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" (Revelation 4:8)

Christ, Our Redeemer

Here it is less than two weeks from Christmas and I haven’t even made it out of the Pentateuch! Yikes! I just couldn’t go on without covering the idea of ransom in the Old Testament.

In Exodus 13 we are introduced to the law of the firstborn which demanded that the Israelites sacrifice the firstborn male offspring of their animals (clean only), in remembrance of God passing over His people during the plague of the firstborn before rescuing them out of Egypt. As an even more personal reminder, all firstborn men among their sons had to be redeemed by the blood of a lamb. Two times in a matter of verses the reason for these provisions is made clear, “It shall be as a sign… for by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.” (Exodus 13:16) The law of the firstborn served as a reminder to the Israelites that they should have been robbed of their firstborn that fateful night in Egypt, but for the great mercy of God that spared them by accepting the blood of a perfect lamb in their place. In other words, their firstborn really belonged to God and they had to “buy them back” so to speak. Psalm 49:7 makes it clear that even the most wealthy man “cannot redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him”. But verse 15 affirms that it is God who will redeem our souls from the power of the grave. In other words, we know that the Israelites didn’t really think they were buying back their firstborn, but by “redeeming” them with the blood of a lamb they were acknowledging that they belonged to the Lord and they also remembered His mighty works when He freed them from slavery in Egypt.

Exodus 30 tells of another type of redemption, that of ransom money paid by Israel for Israel. The ransom money is a payment made by the people of Israel to the Levites for the operation of the Tabernacle. The amount of money paid depended on the number of Israelite men over the age of 20, ½ shekel each was due. I find it interesting that the rich and poor paid the same amount, reinforcing to me that God sees both rich and poor alike in terms of value. We are both made in His image and of equal worth to Him, so we must pay the same amount of ransom. And although this later came to be known as the Temple tax, you see that it’s not like any tax we recognize. I’m pretty sure ½ shekel per person is a very reasonable price, especially since it was not thought to be burdensome even for the poor to pay. The ransom money serves three purposes according to Exodus 30: 1.) as atonement money, 2.) for the service of the tabernacle, and 3.) as a memorial.

Many passages in the Old Testament (Leviticus 25 is a thorough one) explain that property, animals, land, and even people were routinely ransomed by in Israel. For example, if you got into debt and lost your land, your brother or uncle or whoever had pity on you could ransom your land for you and return it to you. (Remember Boaz became Ruth's kinsman redeemer, even though he was not her nearest kinsman.) Every 7 years the Year of Jubilee would cancel these losses or debts so the ransom price was fixed according to how far away the Year of Jubilee was from the point of redemption. Anyway, Israel had an intimate understanding of redemption.

The teachings on redemption and ransom in the Old Testament Scriptures point us to the coming Messiah, especially since man cannot ultimately redeem a living soul. Both Mathew 20:28 and Mark 10:45 tell us that, “the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.” And "we were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold,… but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19) What should our response to this blessed realization be? “For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:20) “You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.” (1 Corinthians 7:23) I take these to mean simply that when Christ shed His blood for us on the cross, He bought us back from death, which is what our bondage to sin had earned us. When Christ redeemed us, He gave us new life in Him. We are God’s, we belong to Him and exist to glorify Him. Soli Deo gloria. What more worthy goal could we aspire to this Advent season?

The Trespass Offering

Up until about a week ago I thought sins and trespasses were the same thing. I still don’t know the difference between them, just that there must be one. If you know the answer to this question please tell me.

In this, my last post on the sacrifices, (sigh of relief), I’m going to focus on several exciting observations from the chapters in Leviticus and Numbers that deal with trespass offerings.

Up until now the sacrificial offerings have shown us our guilt in a very general sense. We are all sinners, so we’re all guilty of breaking any one of God’s laws in some way. Now the sins, or trespasses whichever the case may be, start to get specific. Some of the sins listed include bearing false witness or lying under a variety of different situations, touching any unclean thing even if unaware of it, sins of the mouth such as speaking without thinking and unconsciously entering into oaths that may not be kept, sinning unintentionally regarding the holy things of the Lord, and extorting from a neighbor, and even taking something as your own that was lost by a neighbor. (What? Finder’s/keeper’s isn’t lawful?) Again, the unintentional nature of these sins does not excuse the offender, he is still guilty. I wondered why this particular list of sins is given. It seems to me that it may be because they are sins that don’t seem like such serious sins. I mean everyone knows how bad murder and adultery are, right? But a little lie? Accidentally entering into an oath that you may or may not be able to keep? Picking up a tool found by the side of the road and, not seeing anyone to claim it, taking it? These are things that we justify in our everyday life. Maybe that’s why this list is given. This cautions us to be on the look-out for ways we have sinned against the Lord. I’m reminded of David’s prayer to God in Psalm 139. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” We must first acknowledge our sins before God can forgive us of them.

Herein lies my next observation, these chapters mention forgiveness more than all the previous ones dealing with sacrificial offerings. I counted 8X that some variation of the phrase, “so the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him” is repeated in Leviticus chapters 4-6 dealing with the sin and trespass offerings. I may have missed one, but I didn’t see forgiveness even mentioned in chapters 1-3 at all and not in chapter 4 on the sin offering until verse 26. There seems to be a shift in emphasis away from our guilt, although our guilt is still mentioned, to atonement and forgiveness. Leviticus 5:5 also reminds us that confession must accompany the sacrifice in order for atonement to be made. “And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing; and he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord for his sin which he has committed.”

There is also a precious provision for the poor in verses 7-13 that demonstrate that forgiveness is available for all who confess and repent. Those who couldn’t afford a lamb, could bring turtledoves or pigeons, those that couldn’t even afford two birds could bring 1/10 of an ephah of fine flour. What a wonderful reminder that God is an impartial and gracious God. We’re all guilty before Him and forgiveness is open to all who have a penitent heart.

And finally there is the concept of restitution brought up in the trespass offerings. It’s not enough to just acknowledge our guilt, where possible restitution should be made. Now, restitution is not possible in every case, but in cases of property or money, it is. And it’s interesting that the amount of restitution is the amount of that taken or damage done, plus 1/5. We’ve come a long way from this way of thinking, haven’t we? Instead, now we pay to house and feed and medically insure and guard the very ones that owe us restitution!

I want to end on this thought of restitution. Isn’t God gracious that when we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9)? Of course, there is no way we could make restitution to the Lord for our sins. Even our righteous acts are like filthy rags before Him (Isaiah 64:6). So, how does this work? Christ is the propitiation for our sins, meaning He satisfies God’s righteous requirement for justice. He makes restitution to God for our sins. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:1) Again, we end with a great reason to celebrate His coming this Advent season! Not only has He taken away our guilt, but He has also made restitution for our sins. What a magnificent Savior we have!

The Sin Offering

In continuing with my theme of the sacrificial offerings and how they prepare us for Christ’s advent, I want to now focus on the sin offering. I want to take this opportunity to confess to you that I am far from an expert in these matters, but that I’ve been enjoying my journey this Advent season of studying how Christ fulfilled so many types and shadows in the Old Testament of the Bible.

The sin offering is more complicated than the previous offerings we’ve looked at. The exact protocol of the offering differs depending on who has sinned. I don’t pretend to understand all the depths of riches in the sin offering, but I have made a couple of observations in my brief study that I want to share with you.

The first observation is that of the guilt brought by the commission of unintentional sins. Four times in Leviticus 4, the pattern of sinning unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything brings guilt that must be atoned for. At first glance this might strike us as harsh. I mean, how can we be held responsible for doing something we don’t know is wrong? But, we can, and we are. I think this may be a lost doctrine in many churches today. We have a way of justifying and softening our sins, but to God our sins are reprehensible, even when committed in ignorance. (Romans 1 gives a good argument that none are truly ignorant, but that we suppress the truth in unrighteousness).

I think this cuts right to the chase. We are all guilty before God. “There is none righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:10 quoting from the Psalms) We have to stop excusing our sin and come to terms with the fact that our sins have brought guilt upon us. I don’t mean guilt like feeling bad about what we've done, I mean guilt like as in a guilty sentence. “For the wages of sin is death,” and don’t you just love the second half of that verse, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

The next observation that struck me is that of the bull being taken outside the camp to be burned (in the sin offerings for the High-Priest or the congregation). The blood was first sprinkled before the veil and poured around the base of the altar, showing once again that atonement comes only by the shedding of blood. But why take the bull outside the camp to burn its remains? Why not just throw it on the altar used for burnt offerings? The following excerpt from Charles Spurgeon in his sermon Suffering Outside the Camp sheds some light on this.

“You know that when the High Priest offered the sin-offering, because it typified sin, it was so obnoxious to God that it might not be burned upon the great altar, but it was always burned outside the camp, to show God’s detestation of sin and His determination not only to put it away from Himself, but also to put it away from His Church.” (Spurgeon, 1858)

And Hebrews explains to us how Christ became our sin offering and also suffered outside the gate for us. “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.” (13:12) So, once again we see the pattern that Christ becomes the sin offering for us.

It seems to me there must also be some significance related to cleansing or purification in this act of taking the bull outside the camp. Lepers, menstruating women, those deemed “unclean” were sent outside the camp in order to keep Israel pure. In reality, He has removed our sins from us much farther than just outside the city gates. He has removed our transgressions from us “as far as the east is from the west”. Isn’t it wonderful that contemplating our guilt before God causes us to contemplate of God’s great mercy toward us? Maybe this was the idea, as it takes us full circle back to the praise of God. These offerings were in effect, worship. And what better way to spend our Advent season.

The Peace Offering

The peace offering is similar in many respects to the burnt offering, so it might help to start there if you haven’t read that post. I’ll focus on the distinguishing aspects of the peace offering for tonight’s post.

The first thing that sets the peace offering apart, although the burnt and grain offerings were “free will offerings”, is that the occasion of peace offerings is left to the worshippers. Peace offerings weren’t prescribed to be offered on a daily basis, but on more special occasions or when moved to do so. The sacrifice of peace offerings, also called fellowship offerings, can be found alongside many celebratory events in the Bible such as dedications, festivals, and coronations. Peace offerings were to be offered for thanksgiving (Leviticus 7:15), as a vow (Leviticus 7:16), or as a voluntary offering (Leviticus 7:16).

Interestingly, the peace offering is the only offering of meat that the worshipper was allowed to eat a portion of. (My husband said he’d be giving LOTS of peace offerings;). Seriously, I’m sure this did encourage the Hebrews to remember to be thankful for God’s Provident hand in their lives and to take joy in the peace or fellowship with the Lord that had been purchased for them (in an already, not yet sense). The manor in which the peace offering was sacrificed was the same as the burnt offering until the carving of the meat. At this point the breast and right thigh were consecrated for the priests. The blood was sprinkled around the altar, as with the burnt offering, signifying the means by which their peace with God had been secured, and the fat was burned and not eaten. For some reason that I cannot imagine, leftovers of the peace offering for thanksgiving were not allowed to be eaten, but in the case of a vow or voluntary peace offering, the leftover meat could be eaten the second day.

The next interesting detail to me is that while unleavened cakes were to be offered as before, leavened bread was also included in the peace offering. I think this is because the worshipper was allowed to eat part of the offering, so it was not “most holy” as the grain offering had been described. It also served as a reminder that although they could enjoy peace with God, it was not because they were without sin. Surely the leavened bread that they would eat, along with the blood sprinkled around the altar would serve as a picture of the blood of the sacrificial lamb providing the peace that they, sinners though they were, could enjoy with the Lord. Peace with God was His doing, not theirs.

So, getting back to Advent, how is the peace offering fulfilled by Christ? “Having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” (Romans 5:9-11) Ephesians 2:14 says it more plainly that Jesus Himself is our peace.

We have a little tradition in our family that my mom started years ago of memorizing Luke 2 and saying it on Christmas Eve before unwrapping presents. Two years ago we started having our kids memorize Luke 2:8-15, to spell her for a few verses, and last year they also recited it along with a few other children at our Christmas Eve candlelight service at church. When the angels praise God in v. 14 saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace,” this is the peace they’re talking about. Finally, the long awaited Messiah has come, He who will make peace between man and God! Now that’s an exciting thought for Advent!

Christ Our Grain Offering

The grain offering was also to be offered twice daily, morning and twilight just like the burnt offerings discussed in my last post. The grain offering was also to be “continual” and for “a sweet smelling aroma to the Lord”. (Exodus 29:41&42) Where the daily animal sacrifices were to symbolize the people’s need for atonement, the grain offerings were to be a memorial. (Leviticus 2:2) The grain offerings could be prepared numerous ways, but there were three requirements for the grain offering which help further shed light on its meaning. First of all, they had to be without leaven, which symbolized corruption, just as the lambs offered to the Lord were to be without blemish. Second, the grain offering was to be anointed with oil. Anointing is used throughout the Bible as a way of denoting a person who is set apart for God. In 1 Samuel 16 Samuel anoints David, the one the Lord had chosen, with oil. Being anointed and being chosen go hand in hand together with the former signifying the later. After his anointing, “the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward,” (1 Samuel 16:13) showing us that God gives His spirit to those whom He has chosen. Anointing the grain offering with oil, set it apart for a special purpose “as a memorial”. What was it they were supposed to be remembering? Perhaps that they, too, as God’s chosen people were to be holy, set apart for the Lord. In fact, the grain offering is called “most holy” of the offerings to the Lord made by fire (Leviticus 2:3). The third requirement of the grain offering was that it be seasoned with frankincense and salt. Since frankincense was used to make perfumes, it must have been included to make the “sweet smelling aroma”. Salt was used as a preservative, to delay the spoiling of food.

During Advent, we are putting ourselves in the position of Old Testament saints anticipating the coming of the Messiah. We are also looking back, in my series, at how Christ fulfilled all of the types and shadows of the Old Testament that point us to His coming. So, how does Christ fulfill the grain offering? In other words, as God’s people, why do we no longer need to offer grain offerings twice daily? Ephesians 5:2 reminds us that God showed His love for us in giving Himself for us, “an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma”, but I want to look at how Jesus fulfilled each of the three requirements of the grain offering. First of all, Jesus was perfectly holy, without sin at all. Our Lord, our great High Priest, is called “holy, harmless, and undefiled, separate from sinners” in Hebrews 7:26. 1 Peter 2:22 quotes Isaiah 53 in saying Christ “committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.” So, Christ was without leaven! Secondly, Jesus was the long awaited Anointed One that God had chosen and set apart to redeem His people (Luke 4:18, Acts 4:27). And finally, since Christ was the sweet smelling sacrifice, even though He didn’t need frankincense, I find it interesting that it was one of the gifts brought to Him by the Magi who visited from the east to pay their respects to the King of Kings. And of course, Jesus is the ultimate preservative, not only slowing the rot and decay of the world, but conquering sin once and for all. In the same way that salt keeps food from going bad, our Lord Jesus Christ preserves His people and sanctifies them. Isn't that cool to think about?

Since Jesus fulfilled the grain offering, we no longer need to offer it. “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14)

Christ our Perfect Sacrifice

This post is really a follow-up to my post on the tabernacle and its furnishings and how they foreshadow the coming of Christ and are fulfilled by Christ. Today I want to consider how the sacrificial system in the Old Testament served to keep Israel’s sin always before them and remind them of their need for a savior. I also want to look at why we no longer need to offer sacrifices and how Christ fulfilled each type of sacrifice that was required of Israel.

There were five types of sacrifices that were to be offered on a regular basis to the Lord:

1. Burnt offering
2. Grain offerings
3. Peace offerings
4. Sin offerings
5. Trespass offerings

I’ll focus on the burnt offerings for this post. The burnt offerings which I also described in my last post were to be offered twice daily, once in the morning and a second time at twilight. There was to be a “continual burnt offering” to the Lord (Exodus 29:42). In fact, the fire on the altar was never allowed to go out (Leviticus 6:12). This signifies our perpetual need for atonement for our sins because we are constantly falling short of God’s holy standard.

You may also remember that each man was responsible to bring his offering (male livestock without blemish) himself, in person. And each one who brought his lamb, would kill his own lamb after touching its head to signify a transfer of his guilt and that of his family to the sacrificial lamb. Then when the priest took the blood of the sacrificial lamb and sprinkled it around the altar, it was to signify atonement, or the covering of the sins of the one whose lamb was sacrificed in his place.

Did this burnt offering actually atone for the sins of the people? In other words, did these sacrifices save them? Many have wondered why would God have a plan A (law and sacrifices) for Israel and a plan B (grace and faith) for us. The book of Hebrews sheds light on this.

“For the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” (Hebrews 7:19)

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year, for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:1-4)

In other words, the law never perfected Israel, but served to remind them of their sins. Paul says it this way, “The law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galations 3:24) Hebrews 11, the famous faith hall of fame explains to us that we are all saved by faith, even Abel, Abraham, Rahab, and all saints who lived before the coming of Christ. Our children’s catechism explains it this way. They were saved by believing in the Savior to come. The Israelites understood that if the sacrifice they offered saved them, then they would have no further need for sacrifices. The purpose of the offerings was to keep their sin continually before them to cause them to repent and trust in God that He would cover their sins. They were believing in the Savior to come.

The Old Testament saints didn’t have the full understanding we have of Christ, but they knew that God would atone for their sins, cover their guilt with the blood of a Sacrifice He would provide.

Remember what Isaac asked Abraham as they climbed the mountain where Abraham would sacrifice his only son, the son of promise? Isaac saw that his father held a knife, wood, and fire. He saw that only the lamb was missing. So Isaac asks his father, “Where is the lamb that we will offer to the Lord?” And Abraham explains to him that God would provide the lamb. And we know how that story ends, God did provide the ram caught in the thicket to be the “scapegoat” for their sins. Abraham named that mountain, “The Lord will provide.” Old Testament saints were saved just like we are, by believing that God Himself would cross the great chasm that our sin has made between us and God. The Lord will provide. That’s what Advent is all about, celebrating the provision of the Lord to save us from our sins. The coming of Christ was the Lord’s provision. It was His only plan from the beginning of time. Jesus was not an afterthought or a plan B. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

The Tabernacle and its Furnishings Point to the Coming Messiah

After the Lord gives the law on Mt. Sinai, He says to Moses, “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.” (Exodus 25:8-9)

The Ark of the Covenant was to contain the tablets of law within it and the mercy seat flanked by two cherubim on the outside of it. The mercy seat was the place God said, “I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony.” (Exodus 25:22) So the mercy seat stood between the presence of God (pillar of cloud) and the unattainable law of God. The mercy seat bridged the gap that sin makes between us and God. The Hebrew meaning of the word for mercy seat means “to cover”. In one sense the mercy seat covered the Law, as a lid. But in a deeper sense, the mercy seat was to cover or atone for the people’s sins. The mercy seat is also where the High Priest, entering the Holy of Holies just once a year on the Day of Atonement, would sprinkle the blood of a young bull as a sin offering for himself, a ram as a burnt offering and a goat chosen by lot as a sin offering “to cover” the sins of the people of Israel. (Leviticus 16:3-16) The mercy seat symbolized to Israel their need to have their sins covered and was fulfilled in Christ. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4) But Jesus, “after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:12-14)

The table for the showbread is where twelve unleavened cakes of bread were placed each Sabbath as a memorial offering to the Lord. The purpose of the showbread was to remind the Israelites that it is God who completely provides and cares for them. Remember the bread from heaven that the Lord so graciously provided for Israel while they wandered in the desert? Six days they would gather bread, but twice as much on the day before the Sabbath, so that they could rest in obedience to the Lord on the Sabbath. Jesus affirmed this in His model prayer when He asked His Father to, “Give us this day our daily bread.” And Jesus also fulfills this symbol in the tabernacle when He says, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” (John 6:35)

The gold lampstand stood opposite the table of showbread in the tabernacle and the seven lamps were to be arranged “so that they give light in front of it”. (Exodus 25:37) And the Israelites were commanded to bring pure olive oil for the light so that the lamp would burn continually (Leviticus 24:2). The golden lampstand points us to Christ who is the “true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world”. (John 1:9) Jesus says in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

The altar of burnt offering is where the burnt offerings were consumed. The Israelites were commanded to bring an unblemished male offering from their herds to offer of their own free will at the door of the tabernacle before the Lord. Each man would put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, symbolically transferring his sin to that of the sacrifice, before the offering was accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. Each man would then kill the bull (or sheep or goat or bird) before the Lord (acknowledging his own guilt) and then the priests would take the offering and prepare it by skinning it and cutting it into pieces, sprinkling the blood around on the altar by the door and then finally burning the offering “a sweet aroma to the Lord.” (Leviticus 1) Christ replaces the need to offer burnt offerings since He “has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smellling aroma.” (Ephesians 5:2) “Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.’” (Hebrews 10:5-6) But, by the will of God, “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10)

And finally, there was the veil that served as a divider between the holy place and the Most Holy, or Holy of Holies. (Exodus 26:33) So the veil separated the area where the table of showbread, the golden lampstand, and the altar of incense was from the Holy of Holies where the ark of the covenant resided. Remember that only the High priest could enter the Holy of Holies and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. The veil served as a reminder for Israel that their sin kept them apart from God. They could no longer enjoy the intimacy with God that Adam and Eve had once known in the garden. The veil separated the people from their God, and only the High priest could serve as an intermediary between themselves and God. When Jesus was crucified, immediately after He died, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Mark 15:38) signifying that Jesus having served as our sacrifice once for all, is truly our High Priest and He alone serves as intermediary between God and His people. “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” (Hebrews 10:19-22)

A Great Deliverance

The Exodus is such a beautiful picture of salvation and I just love thinking about it. The Jews loved thinking about it, too. So many Psalms are sung in remembrance of God’s gracious and mighty deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. Isn’t it interesting to think about how Joseph described Israel’s entrance into Egypt as a great deliverance (from famine in Canaan) and now Israel’s exit from Egypt is described as the same! What a wonderful Lord we have who is our Deliverer! There is so much in the story of the Exodus that parallels the gospel, but I want to start with examining how Moses is a type of Christ.

Moses foreshadows the coming of the Messiah in both his person and mission. There are many details surrounding the birth and life of Moses that are similar to that of Christ. Moses was born a Hebrew during a time of intense persecution by the Egyptian Pharoah who had ordered every male baby born to a Hebrew woman be killed (Exodus 1). Jesus was also born around a time of persecution under Herod who ordered every Hebrew male baby under 2 years to be killed (Mathew 2:16). God in His providence spared both Moses and Jesus for His salvific purposes.

It’s also interesting to notice how Moses was born a Levite (priest), adopted by Pharoah’s daughter (prince), and later was given the role of speaking God’s Word to His people (prophet). These are the three roles Christ fulfilled, that of prophet, priest, and king. Moses more clearly points us to Christ than any type we’ve examined thus far. Of course, Moses only served as a shadow of the Savior to come, he was not sinless as is clearly shown by his killing an Egyptian task master, and even in the desert when he shows himself to be a man of God, but one that does make mistakes.

When Moses first tells Pharoah that the God of Israel demands he let His people go, Pharoah said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.” (Exodus 5:2) God then begins to work signs and wonders through Moses to show that he is God’s messenger and that God is to be feared. This is the same reason Jesus gives for why He works signs and wonders- so that we might know He has authority from the Father (John 10:25, 14:11, 20:30-31). In both cases, the point of the miracles is to give God glory, and in the case of Jesus to show He is God.

I love how the Lord assures Moses of victory. “I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.” (Exodus 6:6) The Hebrews were enslaved by the Egyptians and God used Moses to deliver them out of that slavery into the promised land. Jesus, our Lord and Savior, came to deliver us from our bondage to sin and we will reign with Him in heaven forever. Like the Israelites, we too must wander through the desert as strangers and foreigners, waiting on God’s time to bring us into that heavenly country (Hebrews 11) that’s been promised to us.

But before Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, God struck Egypt with 10 plagues each time giving Pharoah an opportunity to let His people go and each time the plagues grew worse. The tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, was God’s final judgment on this hard hearted ruler and rebellious land. Every family would lose their firstborn son, even the Israelites, unless they took a young male lamb without blemish, killed it and smeared the blood on the doorposts and lintel of their houses. So, God in His infinite grace and mercy, allowed His chosen people to escape His judgment of death. He accepted a substitute for their firstborn, an unblemished lamb. Isn’t God good? He does the same for us. None of us is innocent, none of us can escape His judgment of death, unless He accept a substitute in our place. We were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:19).

The Passover meal was to be eaten with bitter herbs to remind the Hebrews of their suffering and travail that God was delivering them from. They were also to eat with their belt and sandals on and staff in hand, in haste, ready to go in a moment’s notice (Exodus 12:11). I love this idea of imminent departure, just like we’re to live with the thought always before us of Christ’s imminent return. And the Passover bread was to be made without leaven, which is often used as a symbol for corruption. The Lord didn’t want them taking the wicked practices of the Egyptians with them, He wanted them to be pure and set apart for Him. Also, if you’ve ever baked bread, you know that it takes a long time for bread to rise and God wanted them to be ready to leave in a hurry.

And just as the Israelites were to keep the Passover feast in remembrance of God’s passing over their firstborn and accepting the substitutionary lamb, we’re to take Communion in remembrance of Christ’s shed blood on our behalf and the freedom it purchased for us. As we remember God’s mighty deliverance of His people in the past, we also look forward to Christ’s second coming and the consummation of our great deliverance. And that’s what Advent is all about.

Joseph: From Privilege to Suffering to Exaltation

The story of Joseph is one of my favorites in the Bible. It’s appropriate to consider for Advent for several reasons. First, it’s a story of innocent suffering followed by exaltation. Secondly, it’s one of the great stories of forgiveness in the Bible. And finally, the story of Joseph demonstrates the Providence of God, always at work in the circumstances of our lives. All of these point us to the coming of Christ and the salvation He brings us, so I’ll consider each briefly.

Joseph was his father Jacob’s favorite son. (Remember how Jacob loved Rachel and was tricked into marrying Leah? Well, Joseph was the oldest son of his favorite wife, Rachel.) As the favorite, he was a son of privilege. His father lavished gifts upon him like the famous coat of many colors. Joseph also knew he was destined to rule. He had everything going for him until that is he was sold into slavery by his brothers. In like manner, our Lord who existed in the “form of God” and had everything He could ever want, willingly made Himself of no reputation and took the form of a bondservant (Philippians 2:7). Throughout his time of servitude Joseph, like Christ, remained obedient to God even through periods of great suffering. When Joseph is wrongfully imprisoned he is silent just as our Lord, “as a sheep before its shearers is silent, opened not his mouth,” when He was accused of blasphemy and then crucified for our sins. Both stories have a happy ending as well. Joseph is exalted by God and placed second in command to Pharoah in Egypt. His dream of ruling over his brothers comes true when they come to him for grain and bow to him. Christ conquers both sin and death in the resurrection and now sits at the right hand of God in heaven. We know every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11).

The story of Joseph is also one of the great stories of forgiveness in the Bible. Joseph’s brothers were jealous and wicked in their dealings with Joseph, some of the brothers even wanting to murder him, before agreeing to sell him into slavery. What’s more they were deceitful and unloving to their father and younger brother Benjamin when they made it look like a wild animal had killed Joseph by smearing his coat of many colors with goat blood and tearing it and taking it to their father. If this happened today, these young men would deserve life sentences, would they not? They didn’t deserve Joseph’s forgiveness, not they ever thought they would need it. But, this is why the story of Joseph should point us toward the coming of Christ and the forgiveness of sins we can have through the shedding of His blood. None of us is deserving of the forgiveness God gives us, yet He is so merciful to us that He removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west! (Psalm 103:12) Joseph found it in his heart to forgive his brothers, not because they deserved it, but because he understood the Providence of God. My favorite quote in all of Genesis is at the very end of the book after Jacob dies and Joseph’s brothers are afraid Joseph will get his revenge on them now. They beg Joseph for his forgiveness and fall on their faces before him. Joseph says to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive”. (Genesis 50:19-20)

Joseph understood about the Providence of God, how God works in the circumstances of our lives to will and to do His good pleasure. He knew that nothing that had happened to him had happened by accident. He fully trusted God that He would work out His plan. This is evidenced by how he talks to his brothers about their guilt. “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Then again, “And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance, so now it was not you who sent me here, but God.” (Genesis 45:4-7)

As we celebrate Advent, I hope the story of Joseph helps us look more clearly at Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)